Stress

1
Stress

• Managing Individual Stress

2
The Underload Overload Continuum
Optimal Stress
Low Performance
Low Performance
Optimal Performance
Underload
Overload

• Boredom
• Decreased motivation
• Absenteeism
• Apathy

• High motivation
• High energy
• Sharp perception
• Calmness

• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Increased errors
• Indecisiveness

3
Stress Factors

• Three key factors determine whether an experience
  is likely to result in stress
• IMPORTANCE relates to how significant the event
  is for the individual
• UNCERTAINTY refers to a lack of clarity about
  what will happen
• DURATION the longer special demands are placed
  on us, the more stressful the situation
• (maybe) KSAs lack of KSAs to properly perform
  the task in the given time

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A Model of Stressors, Stress, and Outcomes
Stressors
Outcomes
Moderators Individual Differences
Individual Level
Behavioral
Problem-Focused coping
Group Level
Cognitive Appraisal
Cognitive
Stress
Emotion-Focused coping
Organizational Level
Physiological
Non-work
5
Work Stressors Individual Level
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Recognizing the Warning Signs of Stress in
Employees

• A normally punctual employee develops a pattern
  of tardiness or a pattern of absences
• A normally gregarious employee becomes withdrawn
• An employee whose work is normally neat and
  demonstrates attention to detail submits messy,
  incomplete, or sloppy work

7
Recognizing the Warning Signs of Stress in
Employees

• A good decision maker suddenly starts making bad
  decisions (or seems unable to make decisions)
• An easygoing employee who gets along well with
  others becomes irritable and discourteous
• A normally well groomed employee neglects his or
  her appearance

8
Work Stressors Group and Organizational Levels
Participation
Inadequate Career Development Opportunities
Intra- and Inter-group Relationships
Organizational Politics
Lack of Performance Feedback
Downsizing
Organizational Culture
9
Non-work Stressors
Elder and child care
Economy
Volunteer Work
Lack of mobility
Quality of Life
10
Hardiness

• A personality trait that seems to buffer an
  individuals response to stress
• Control events belief
• Committee to activities in their lives
• Treat change as a challenge
• Hardiness changes the way stressors are perceived
  (Moderates the relationship between stress and
  cog. Appraisal)

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Cognitive Appraisal

• Individual interpretation of the situation or
  stressors (note explains individual diff.)
• Primary Rate Stressors (e.g., positive, neg. or
  meaningless)
• Secondary Determination of what can be done

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Stress Moderators

• Heredity
• Age
• Gender
• Diet
• Social Support
• Type A Personality Traits

13
The Person With TABP Has These Characteristics

• Chronically struggles to get as many things done
  as possible in the shortest time period
• Is aggressive, ambitious, competitive, and
  forceful
• Speaks explosively, and rushes others to finish
  what they are saying

14
Coping With Stress
Problem-Focused Actions taken to deal with source
of stress
Emotion-Focused Actions taken to deal with
feelings and emotions
15
Individual Outcomes of Stress

• Stress can produce a variety of Behavioral,
  Cognitive and Psychological consequences
• Satisfaction, performance, Absenteeism, turnover,
  accidents, health care claims, drug use
• Poor decision-making, poor focus, forgetfulness,
  frustration, apathy
• Blood pressure, depression, cholesterol, heart
  disease, gastrointestinal system

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Individual Outcomes of Stress Burnout

• Burnout a psychological process resulting from
  work stress that results in
• Emotional exhaustion
• Depersonalization
• Feelings of decreased accomplishment
• Prerequisites
• Extensive contact or responsibility for people
• Job involvement commitment to profession
• Work overload, dead-end jobs, red tape and
  paperwork, poor communication and feedback, poor
  reward systems

17
The Person With TABP Has These Characteristics

• Is impatient, hates to wait, considers waiting a
  waste of precious time
• Speaks explosively, rushes others to finish
• Is preoccupied with deadlines and is
  work-oriented
• Aggressive, ambitious, competitive, and forceful
• Is always in a struggle with people, things,
  events

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Support Work Environment Actions Managers Can
Take

• Set an example by being a source of support for
  others, particularly subordinates
• Encourage open communication and maximum exchange
  of information
• Make certain you provide subordinates with timely
  performance feedback, presented in an
  encouraging, non-threatening manner

19
Support Work Environment Actions Managers Can
Take

• Provide for mentoring of the less experienced by
  more senior members of the work group
• Work to maintain and increase work group cohesion

20
Organizational Stress Management Program Targets
Organizational Stress Management and Prevention
Programs
Targeted at
Outcome of Stress
Employee Perceptions / Experience of Stress
Work and Non-work Stressors

• Physiological
• Emotional
• Behavioral

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Targeted / Corrective Stress-Management Programs
Include

• Training programs for managing and coping with
  stress
• Redesigning work to minimize stressors
• Changes in management style to one of more
  support and coaching to help workers achieve
  their goals
• Creating more flexible work hours

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Targeted / Corrective Stress-Management Programs
Include

• Paying more attention to work/life balance with
  regard to child and elder care
• Better communication and team-building practices
• Better feedback on worker performance and
  management expectation

23
Wellness Programs

• Any activity an organization engages in that is
  designed to identify and assist in preventing or
  correcting specific health problems, hazards or
  negative habits
• Includes lifestyle modification as well as
  disease identification

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Individual Approaches to StressPrevention and
Management